Dear readers, tonight with us is a modern witch who in her final year of college was sent to the distant past against her will. She is here to speak about love and betrayal, about living in a world of dangerous magic, dragons, and violent knights. And a bit about college romance and spaghetti.

Tell us a little about where you grew up. What was it like there?

It was in Reading, England—it will only be build centuries from now. I have only vague memories from the future. It’s much more crowded than here, in Kardoel. There’s a lot of rush, and people drive vehicles that don’t have horses. I’m not exactly sure how that works. You get in and it makes a lot of noise, you use a wheel to turn it. There’s a town I remember-much bigger than the ones here. They call it Oxford. Seth is there too. I remember him, but everything around him is blurry. He’s different than now. A lot less serious. He’s trying to tell me something about my comp…computer. I have no idea what that is.

After the time travel, I woke up here, in Morgan’s fairy tribe. Have you ever visited a fairy tribe? You haven’t, then you don’t know about the food! I guess since they’re all thousands of years old, they got a lot of practice. The simple things were the most impressive. Like their corn and berries bread. Morgan’s tribe would conjure a variation of the recipe that had bilberries. And serve it with a drink that combined flower extracts. We’d have it at breakfast, with the dawn. Right by the lake, under the mossy beech trees. We’d also have dinner there, and I’d listen to the fairies play. Except when there were drumming sessions. It was…let’s just say I had a lot of excuses ready to use in order to avoid it, and wax for my ears if I failed.

And you miss the tribe?

Not any more. They lied to me, about who I really am.

Is that why are you here in Kardoel?

Partly. I’m actually looking for someone. Perhaps you’ve met him? A mage named Merlin.

Why do you need to meet Merlin?

That’s for his ears alone. I have a message that I must deliver personally. Many lives depend on it. And it can’t fall into the wrong hands. Listen, you cannot under any circumstance tell anyone my real name, or Seth’s. We are Adelis and Caradoc now. You found out the truth—take it to your grave. I can’t imagine what will happen to us if we get discovered.

How do you even know about this Merlin?

He was on the guest list for Uther’s feast yesterday night.

Anything before that, that made you come here?

That’s all I will tell you.

Can you tell me more about the future, then? About you and Seth there?

We’d actually just met. And we absolutely hated each other. He bumped into me, coming out of a doorway—thank heavens for healing spells—and then blamed me for it. I was head of something called a student society—I’m not exactly sure what it was—anyway, I had half a mind to ban him from ever entering our events.

And this time round?

I thought of how quickly I could send him to the gallows. The sentiment was mutual.

You don’t say! And you didn’t know who you really were?

No. Neither of us remembered the future. Or how we got here. The time-travel erased it all. We were separated for two years. The memories only came after we met, through the magic that connects us. I didn’t even remember I had magic… And then, I got the shock of discovering I could bring things to me with a wave of my hand, change the weather, conjure anything I ever wanted to eat…

So, lost of corn and berries bread?

Maybe…

What was it like to leave the fairy tribe and join your “father’s” court?

Not what I expected. I should have asked to stay longer with the tribe. I got cabin fever almost immediately. I had to do everything “right”. Even little things. Like hold my arm straight, when I shook hands. Speak at medium strength and keep my tone of voice low. Eat before dinner so I seem humble in my appetite. It was exhausting. The worst thing was the gossip. Especially after I was arranged to be married to the heir of the high throne, Domangart Réti, the son of King Fergus Mór (Seth was one of his knights).

How does Kardoel compare? Is it similar to Fergus Mór’s court at Dalriada?

I’d hoped it would be, but it’s not. Uther Pendragon is…intimidating. Seth told me about him before we came. He’s merciless, and he handles the throne with an iron fist. There was once an uprising against him that ended in many death sentences, even among the nobles. He’s unmarried and has a notorious reputation with women—something that the nobles use to their advantage and keep throwing their daughters at him.

Did he make a move on you last night?

Yes.

Did you feel unsafe?

No. I have magic to protect me. And a Dan 2 Karate black belt. It’s…a form of combat training I learned in the future. Women there learn it too, believe it or not—it’s even considered appealing! Seth likes it.

But, back to yesterday, it wasn’t too bad. Uther found better entertainment, which was a relief. My situation is dangerous enough as it is, without any more complications.

Can you tell me about your family: do you remember your real parents?

No. I wish. I saw a glimpse of them through a spell, but I don’t even know their names. It was nice, though. I look a bit like my real dad.

Do you remember anyone else?

Yes, actually. My friend, Jane. Skin dark like the night and warm eyes. She’s funny. But very serious about studying. Wants to be a professor—I’m guessing it’s a type of queen. Strangely enough, I remember us reading about Kardoel, and Uther. Oh, and I see her use this really funny thing: it’s this quill that has ink inside it. She doesn’t have to sharpen or dip it. It just writes.

And there’s a memory where we’re cooking together. Yes, I knew how to cook. Court ladies aren’t taught this, but maybe I was a sort of servant or peasant before, or maybe everyone in the future can learn to cook. Anyhow, there’s this transparent bag, and you pour the content into boiling water, and also make a sauce, and it all comes out just like Pasta from Bearsden—I had it once in my father’s court.

What about the night you got kidnapped? Can you tell me about that?

Believe it or not, I trusted Seth. I went willingly. Well, I had to go, because Niall would have killed my father otherwise. But…I can’t explain it. I just knew that Seth would keep his part of the bargain. I didn’t trust Niall. Not for a second. But once we split and I was alone with Seth, I felt that we were in this together. He also saved my life that night.

He didn’t even know that I was his. We didn’t feel the magic that bonds us. Meeting again brought that, but it took time. And we fought the first couple of days.

Tough love?

You can say that. Definitely. It’s good material. We laugh about it now. A lot.

What was the scariest part of coming to Kardoel?

The fact that the Order of the First Shrine wants me dead. Listen, you can’t tell anyone my real name. And if Merlin refuses the deal—to protect me and Seth in exchange for the information I have…I can’t even think about that!

Mother, hiker, and total foodie living in Edinburgh, Scotland. Once upon a time… Reut was born in Camelot in the year 1201, following the famous explosion of the northern dragon tower. She has a degree in fantasy and science fiction from the University of Atlantis and this record can be found in the central library, now twenty thousand leagues under the sea. She likes phoenix riding, dragon fighting and painting the roses red, and Grimm’s Fairy Tales 🙂 Reut shares her PERSONAL LIFE stories on YouTube.

You can find Kim on the pages of Forbidden Road, where parallel timelines show her magical challenge at college and her brave adventure in pre-Camelot times.

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